Apartment for Two
Marie walks along the main street of the small Alaskan town she has been living in. Despite the snow piled on the sidewalk today is warm, bright and sunny. She closed shop early today as she does every year on this day. She waves and smile at an older man across the street, a regular customer of hers. Ducking into the entrance of the small grocery store, she taps her boots to clear them of snow before stepping inside.
“Hey, Jason.” Marie smiles at the man standing at the checkout register, before taking a shopping basket off the rack.
“Howdy, Marie. You’re early today.” The young, handsome shop owner smiles back at her brightly. Like her, Jason is a new arrival in town, having moved here from somewhere in southern Texas. With his grocery store so close by and their shared southern roots, they formed an easy friendship. “Getting a head start on the weekend?”
“Something like that.” Marie almost sighs as she turns away. There has been a bit of tension growing between them recently. She knows Jason is looking to be more than friends with her. While she has been avoiding that subject fearing the loss of a good friend in the fallout.
“I’m happy to lend a hand if you need it.” He calls after her. It is obvious to Marie that this can’t continue on indefinitely. She needs to set things straight with him for better or for worse. She is just not quite ready to do that yet.
“How's business?” Walking up to the checkout counter, Marie tries to make some small talk even if her heart is really not in it.
“Oh you know, lotsa folks stocking up for the holidays.” She can feel his eyes on her. Yt is not an altogether unpleasant feeling, and perhaps even a bit flattering, she's still uncomfortable with it. She tries not to look back and instead focuses her mind on her shopping.
“Yeah, with the fighting finally settling down, it looks like a whole lot of them are looking to celebrate.” She felt some of that hope back when the armistice was first announced. As the weeks ticked by however, she is starting to worry.
“So… you uh... got any plans tonight?” Marie cringes, it is a question that she dreads whenever she is around him. Honestly, he is not a bad man, even if he is a bit young and too civilized for her tastes. As a mutant, she doesn’t have a lot of prospects at a serious relationship.
Lifting her basket of groceries on the counter, she is tempted to say no, partly out of the fear of loneliness, and partly out of curiosity of what a normal relationship would be like. Her hands rise to her chest and she touches the dog tags hanging from her neck, and that irrational bit if hope surges from within her. “Yeah, I do actually.”
“Oh.” Even though she shouldn’t, a bit of guilt seeps into her at the sight of his crestfallen expression. She is one hundred percent certain that she is just being friendly and has not been leading him on, yet here they are.
“Are you… Are you expecting company?” He presses her, and she responds with an exasperated look. She might have been more receptive if he was looking for more than a quick lay. In a small town like this however a reputation like his spreads fast. Marie is not aim to be the girl looking to change him. After a moment he looks down and away from her while handing her the receipt, “Sorry I just ummm…”
“Goodbye, Jason, see you Monday.” Marie quickly walks out of the store and lets out a breath. She should have ended it there, but she chickened out at the last minute. The dreaded prospect of spending another year alone looms as the night approaches. Covering herself with the hood of her jacket, she strikes a hurried pace home.
Standing in her small but cozy kitchen, Marie wipes the residual water from the crystal beer glass. The fading warm light of the sun filters through the green satin curtains painting a picture of tranquility and domestic bliss. Today is their fifth anniversary, five years since they fled the burning rubble that was the school and started a new life here. Sometimes, though with less frequency, she still wakes up in a cold sweat to the imaginary smell of burning bodies and fresh blood, to the cries of anguish, pain, and loss.
It happened just a few weeks after the Lady Liberty incident, Logan had just disappeared from her life as suddenly as he entered it. The news had been filling with an ominous tone, riots and attacks against mutants were said to be increasing at an alarming rate, with nothing but arguments being disguised as solutions from the government. None of them knew what horrible fate awaited them, secluded away in their little walled garden.
Her first sight of that night was of Logan covered in ash, his clothes torn and burned, looking down at her in relief, cradling her to him. People, or at least what was left of them strewn about them. He clutched her tight as he carried her from the burning husk of the first place that had felt like home after the discovery of her curse.
He had brought her to the basketball court, where she reunited with her friends, Kitty and Jubes. Both as shell shock and frighten as she was. They celebrated their survival as well as mourned for those who did not make it in a short ceremony. As they filed on to an evacuation bus, she saw him standing next to an old pickup, eyes distant and grim, watching over her. Somehow she knew right then that if she left with the bus, she would never see him again.
Hugging her shocked friends tight, she bid them all a farewell. Then drug her duffle bag, filled will all her worldly possession behind her, she walked up to him through the freshly fallen snow, and spoke to him for the first time that night, “Got room for one more?”
He regarded her with a silent stare, and with each passing second, her hope sank deeper into despair. Abruptly he made his decision, easily lifting her pack with one hand, Logan deposited into the back of his truck. Opening the door, he helped her inside before taking his place on the driver’s side and driving off all without a word.
They were an hour from the Canadian border before he spoke. “They don't like this, you comin’ with me.”
Marie sighs now just as she did then. The Professor and even Jean might have meant well. But after a second near-death experience in as many months she didn't think anywhere was safe. At least with Logan, she could try to have a normal life, as normal as life could get for a mutant with deadly skin.
Now five years after he left her with all his savings and lease for this small apartment she is finally feeling like she has a home here. The small store she opened last year is getting steady traffic and turned a profit for the first time last month. The violence out in the world is tapering down and Jubes and Kitty visited her just a week ago, all is looking up, except for one thing. Something her landlady delights in reminding her, a person to share her life with.
Logan is five years gone, without a single word. The only reason she knows he is still alive is the periodic deposits into their joint account. Yet tonight like every other night she will set his place on their dinner table. In the light of the day, she would never begrudge his decision to leave. He did it for her safety and protection after all. But in the depth of the night, she can’t help but wonder. Does he really think of her out there, the way she thinks of him? Or is the remittances just to assuage his guilt for abandoning her and leaving to live his life?
After checking on the roast in the oven, Marie begins to prepare the other dishes for tonight's dinner. At first, this anniversary meal was cooked with a sense of hope. But every year this seems a bit more absurd, more ridiculous as if it is a cruel joke directed just at her.
With the table set, and the dishes served and covered, she wipes her hands on her apron and retreats to the living room. The only thing remaining is the roast warming in the oven. She glances at the clock, with a little over an hour before dinner time she can relax for a few moments. She chuckles to herself, even this habit of hers is tied to Logan, the only meal they had here was a dinner just an hour from now, on that day. Marie takes a glass of wine and sits down on the sofa, taking a long drink just as a melancholy love song begins to play over the radio.
The sound of her wine glass dropping to the floor wakes her with a start, yanking her from the nightmares that had plagued her rest. It is now close to an hour past dinner time, and as usual, the house is empty. She lays back down on the sofa and laughs at herself a sad, hopeless laugh. Then from the kitchen the telltale sounds of a knife and fork porcelain. And she rises again, Marie focus on the cotton quilt that falls from her to the floor. “How did that get…”
More sound in the kitchen cuts off that line of thought, fearing for a burglar, Marie picks up her broom. The long war has driven many people to escape, and some of them even made it as far as here. She is happy to feed a hungry man, but she is not going to tolerate thieves.
Charging into the kitchen Marie almost stumbles to see him standing there, in a pair of old jeans and a white tank top. He holds a large knife in his hand, and a cigar clenched between his teeth, just about to put the finishing cuts on the roast. She couldn’t believe her eyes, so she just asks him. “Logan?”
“Hey, darlin’,” His response is at once endearing and infuriating, after five long years he greets her as if he never left. Yet what anger she did have, fades rapidly under his intense yet amused gaze.
“Oh, my god!” She looks over to the hanging mirror and finds her appearance horrifying, her apron is stained, her hair is a mess from the nap, her makeup is smeared, this is not how she wanted to greet him.
She nervously tries to adjust her appearance guided by the mirror, till she feels his broad chest behind her and his arms around her. His large hands cover hers and still they’re shaking. “Relax darlin’ you look gorgeous, why don’t ya get into somethin’ comfortable while I finish cutting the roast?”
“But-” She turns to look at him, and he is so close, his muscular arms wrap protectively around her. If she wanted to she could kiss him right now. Flushing with arousal but too nervous to take the initiative, she nods.
They slowly back away from each other till finally their hands unclasp, snapping Marie out of her haze. She hurries into the bedroom to change, afraid if she lingers too long he might vanish into the icy mist descending on the town.
She quickly slips into that dress stashed deep into her closet. The memory of the way he looked at her the one time she wore it in front of him has kept her warm on many nights. The dress is not made for the winter weather, or Alaska in general if she is honest with herself. It is light and breezy, with a low cut on her chest and a hemline north of what is proper on her thigh. Nevertheless, she is willing to suffer it tonight especially if he will give her that look again.
In the short time she finishes dressing, Logan is already in the living room stripped down to his usual jeans and a tank top. He has moved the entire meal into here, laid out on the coffee table. The old TV of her is on and the flickering screen is tuned to an old hockey game. He places the twelve-pack of beer next to the wine on the floor and looks up at her. For a fleeting moment she sees it, the look that turns her legs to jelly, and then he chuckles, “Yer gonna be cold darlin’.”
She shivers, partly because of that look and partly because despite the roaring flames in the fireplace the room is indeed very cold. Before even a hint of disappointment could appear in her mind, he is next to her with an arm around her waist and another under her knees, lifting her off the ground. “Guess just gonna have to keep ya warm, huh?”
“L-Logan!” Automatically she wraps her arms around his broad shoulders, holding him tight. She lets herself be carried to the couch where he settles them down on to the bear rug she bought the first winter here. He deposits her into his lap, then pulls a wool blanket around them.
She shifts against him slightly, finding a comfortable position before leaning against him. With the warm wool covering her legs and Logan furnace like body temperature behind her, Marie relaxes into his arms. The pop of him opening a can of beer startles her from the pleasant sensation swirling low in her abdomen. She watches him down half a can in one gulp before catching her eyes. His other hand splays over her belly and pulls her closer to him. She feels the rumble more than hears him growl, “Good to be home.”
Little of the feast that was laid out on the coffee table remains, and this is the best meal she’s had in ages. Her appetite was much better than she expected. One of Logan's hands remains stubbornly upon her, even as he ate, roaming from her stomach to her thighs and back, non-stop. It is thanks to his hand that as her hunger fades another need rises to replace it.
Despite the slight embarrassment she feels, at least she is not alone. He has been hard for at least half the meal, she can feel his occasion thrust against her when she moves just right. Nothing shows on his face though, not that she would expect it from someone as experienced as him.
“I uhhh... I should get started on the dishes.” She starts to rise off of him, only to have him pull her back down. Any objections she has disappear when he cups her breast and runs a finger over her already perky nipples.
“Haven’t gotten to the best part yet darlin’.” He nips her along her neck as his other hand tugs at the straps of her dress. Marie shivers as her body is exposed to the cold air, turning her head she gives him needy kisses.
Logan kneads both her breasts paying particular attention to her sensitive nipples, sending sparks of pleasure straight to her core. Marie pulls back gasping air, just as he tugs on a nipple. She hisses at the rough sensation of his fingers before his tongue slides past her lips. Lost in the intimate dance of their tongues, the feel of his finger tracing along her moist folds comes as a total surprise.
She instinctively bucks her hips, but he has already found what he is looking for. She comes with the sudden pressure of his thumb and index finger on her clit. Logan cups her sex and she spasms in pleasure, the other hand rising to her throat maintaining their kiss as she screams.
Marie lays back against him as her breathing returns to normal. Lazily she turns around and straddles him, she leans in close, gently brushing her nose against his before lightly touching their lips together. “Oh, sugar that was…”
She smiles warmly when she feels the low rumble in his chest. She reaches down and carefully unzips him, with a few delicate touches frees his swollen member from its confines, she kisses him again lightly stroking his hard cock. “I missed you.”
Logan leans into the kiss grinning, “Wanna show me how much?”
“So very much” Still stroking him with one hand she traces his tip with the other. Lifting her hips she lines him up to her entrance. Slowly she lowers herself onto him, even considering how aroused and wet she is she still needs to take ample time to adjust herself to his size. She peeks at him through her lashes, and finds him with his eyes closed and jaw clenched, obviously holding himself back from simply forcing himself all the way in.
Once he is sheathed all the way into her, she encircles him with her arms and pulls him even closer. Logan buries his face into her chest with a growl, his mouth quickly latching onto a nipple. He suckles her roughly just as she starts to move her hips against him. His hands dig into her hips urging her to ride him.
Soon Marie adapts to his movements and their pace increases to a frantic level. As the rising tension within her builds to an unbearable level, he suddenly rises to his knees, lifting her into the air and pulling almost completely out of her. Flipping them over he pushes back in hard, feeling a surge of warmth as he ruts against her pouring himself into her with each thrust. The feel of Logan’s body tensing against her blissfully in his release is enough to push her over the edge.
Marie wakes up to the morning light spilling through her windows and smiles at the sensation of Logan’s arms still wrapped around her possessively. She glances around her cramped apartment; her eyes settle on to his partially unpack bags and she sighs in contentment.
“Logan?” She looks up and lightly brush her finger through the spikes of his wild hair. The fingers of her other hand absently trace a pattern on his bare chest.
“Mmmm.” He stirs and grumbles but doesn’t open his eyes, pulling her close against him, he finally starts making sense. “S’early darlin’ shift don’t start till the afternoon.”
Her smiles turn brighter at the revelation, Logan wouldn’t get a job if he wasn't going to stay. If it was just money he was after, he’d beat it out of people in the cage. This is more than just a stop for him, he is here for her, and he is here to stay. Whatever the future might hold he will be right here to face it with her.
She hopes that future is a bright one. That someday they will have a house together, at the foot of some snowy peak, on the edge of a crystal clear lake, with a real kitchen, and a full bath. Someday they will have a child or two and pets to keep them company. Someday Marie won't have to wake up in the dark wondering if he will make it back tonight, if he will make it back at all. Someday they will live the peaceful idyllic life they’ve dreamed of. But for now they have this apartment for two, a shelter against the chaos and violence raging around them. For now, this is enough.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Story Notes:
A very late entry to the OPI summer challenge for the wonderful cschoolgirl who had to beta her own prompt request, a big thank you to her.
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks for Reading